Account-book.



No. 660,765. Patented Oct. 30, I900.

A. L. BASTRESS.

ACCOUNT BOOK.

- I If 1| I LEDGER h (No Model.)

I 7 4 III,

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED L. BASTRESS, OF SHAMOKIN, PENNSYLVANIA.

ACCOUNT-BOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 660,765, dated October 30, 1900.

Application filed June 26,1900.

[0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. BASTRESS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shamokin, in the county of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Account- Books,of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to an improvement in account-books, and especially to ledgers used in banks and other institutions for the purpose of recording the daily balances of accounts, the object being to compare the total of said balances daily with other books kept in the institution in order to check the accuracy of the same.

The present invention has for its object to provide in connection with such a ledger one or more balance-sheets which are permanent in their character, the names of parties having accounts being on interchangeable and removable slips and the daily balance of the accounts being on adjustable slips opposite the names, each of which slips has a number of sections which may be adjusted successively into position to receive the figures. The names only require change when old customers drop out or new ones begin, and the balancestrips only need adjustment when the balance of a customer changes.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of an opened ledger having my improved index applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview through the ledger when closed on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a face view of the inside of the back cover of the book. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views, and Fig. 7 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates an accountbook, and B indicates a stiff leaf bound therewith, which leaf in this instance constitutes the back cover of the book. Additional stiff leaves may, however, be bound in the body of the book, with the ordinary leaves D between them. In the present instance I have shown but one such leaf; but it will be understood that additional leaves constructed in the same manner are contemplated as within the scope of the invention.

$erial No. 21.628. (No model.)

K are preferably formed of paper, and they extend from a line within a short distance of the front edge of the book to the back thereof. These receptacles are intended to hold and protect the balance-indicating strips F, a sufficient portion of the strips projecting from the tubes upon which to write the daily balance. As shown, the tubes K are covered by a layer of paper P, and directly over the respective tubes K is a series of holders for holding the name-cards H of the index E.

The index E consists of a series of the holders or retainers, each adapted to receive a detachable or removable card. The holders or cardretainers are arranged close together and may extend entirely across the leaf B from the upper to the lower edge thereof, all or any desired number of them being used, as the number of accounts in the book requires. Preferably I employ a series of holders of the form shown, each consisting of an intermediate plate or section, which is connected at its ends to tubular receivers G, into which the ends of the name cards H extend. These holders or retainers are suitably secured to the surface of the stiff leaf over the tubes which hold the balance indicating strips. They may be formed of any suitable material and size and in various ways. As shown in the drawings they are formed of tubular blanks of suitable dimensions, which are flattened somewhat and have two transverse incisions I cut through their outer wall, through which incisions the ends of the cards can be passed into the tubular end sections. The cards H may be made slightly longer than the retainers provided therefor, so that they will project slightly beyond one end of the holders and can be readily removed when any change in the index is necessary. The said index is so positioned on the stiff leaf that the leaves D of the book will project over the adjacent tubular ends of the retainers, which ends are slit at O to render them flexible, so that they may be compressed by the weight of the book to clamp the cards.

The balance-indicating strips or slips F are each composed of a series of sections adapted to be successively exposed beyond the right-hand side of the index E. As above stated, each strip is fitted within and adapted to slide longitudinally of the flattened tusection of the balance-indicating strip is s-uitably divided for the reception of figures representing dollars and cents, which sections are held in suitable columns by the pins M.

The manner of using and some of the advantages of my improved index may be briefly stated as follows": suitable number of namecards are properly arranged within the re-' tainers or holders G, and the balance of each of the accounts represented in the index is inscribed upon the exposed sectio'nof the bal- E an'ce-indicating slip or strip F appropriated to thataccount. Whenever there is a change in any balance, the strip or slip F appropriated to such account is detached from its se; i curing pin or stud M, and the stri'pis moved i longitudinally to the right and the next suoi ceeding perforation L brough'tinto alinement E and engaged with such stud or pin. This exposes a new section for receiving the revised balance, and the section previously use'dcan be detached. This construction and arrangement of parts enables the bookkeeper to make up aconvenient index, giving both the names of all accounts and the exact balance of each entered in the book.

The balance indicating strips F can be made as long as the width of the book, so that each will serve its purpose and permit of several changes in the account to which it re fe rs. When all of the sect ions of a st rip have been used, a new one is easily substituted.

While I have above described the particular index and bal -ance-indicati-ng means which I at presentprefer to employ, it will be un= derstood that certain details hereinbefore set out may be varied without departing from my invention. Forexample, the balance-indicatin g strips constructed and arranged as herein illustrated and described can be used with marginal indexes differing in construction from that one selected for purposes of illustration.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated the stiff leaf, being the back cover, is provided on its outer or under-surface with a rib N, which 'serves to hold the edge 'of the back out of con tact with the surface on which the book rests and enables the bookkeeper to easily grasp the ends of the strips F to adjust them as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Pat- Gilt",

1 The combination with an account-book having a marginal index, of balance-indicating strips adjustably secured to the book and extending between the leaves thereof, said strips corresponding innumber and arrangement to the divisions of the index, each strip consisting of a series of sections adapted to I be successively withdrawn from between the leaves of the book and exposed in alinement with the corresponding division of the index.

2-. The combination of an account-book having a stiff leaf bound therewith, an account-index secured to the surface of said leaf, and a series of balance-indicating strips detachably sec'u red to said leaf to extend under the leaves of "the b ook above said stiff leaf and longitudinally movable relative thereto whereby each strip can be adj usted to successively 'with'draw a series of sections from between the leaves and expose them in alinement with one of the divisions of said index.

3. The combination of an account-book having a stiff l'ea'fbo'u'nd therewith, an account-index on said leaf, aseries of pins or studs projecting from said leaf, one in alinement with each of the divisions of theindex, and a series of balance-indicating strips extending beneath or behind said index and each adapted to be engaged at'diffe'rent points in its length with one of said studs or pins.

4. The combination of an account-book, a stiff leaf bound therewith, a series of flattened tubes or cells on said l'eaf, a series of balance indicating strips adjustably contained in said tubes, a series of name-slip holders superposed upon said tubes, and a series-of name-slips reniovably secured in said holders.

5. The combination with an account-book, of an index-card therefor c'omprising'a series of holders G, and a series of name-slips H, said holders having tubular end portions which retain the ends of the name-cards and being slit at their inner ends to permit the weight of the book to clamp the card therein.

6. The herein-described holder or retainer for an index-card consisting of a slightlyfiatt'ened tubular blank having transverse slits formed in its outer face near its ends.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED L. BASTRES'S.

Witnesses 8. JOHN BIRD, D. W. HEIM.

IIO 

